Geometry—it's not just for the math classroom! Learners explore the field of forestry through a mathematical lens. An instructional resource explains how forest workers collect data about trees such as height, diameter, and age...

Shine some light on the topic of seasonal change with this collection of activities. Whether it's by measuring the change in the length of their shadows, or modeling the earth's orbit around the sun using a lamp and a globe, these...

Design and build a rover ... then eat it? This activity has groups of two design and build Mars rovers. The teams determine what instruments they want to include with their rover and plan a budget. They calculate the cost of the body of...

Students create a topographical map of an area outside of the school. For this mapping lesson, students compile data on angles, distances, and key landmarks for a predetermined area on the school grounds to create a map using Geometer's...

Students use their feet to measure distance between themselves and a tree trunk.  In this distance lesson, students use the number of steps, and string to measure distances and height of the tree.  Students can get the tree...

Different colors of the spectrum travel at different speeds through media, causing them to refract at different angles—which allows humans to see their colors. Through a simulation, pupils see how air, water, and other media bend light....

Scientists don't have a ruler long enough to measure to the stars, so they rely on math. Scholars learn to calculate the distance from Earth to a star using the parallax method. They use angle measures from different perspectives to...

High schoolers determine the contact angle of water on different surfaces. In this physics lesson, students calculate their percent error using a mathematical formula. They explain the advantages of using non-wetting surface for certain...

Explore Snell's Law using thin films. In the fifth installment of a seven-part series, pupils solve a set of problems relating to Snell's Law and use this skill during an experiment requiring the collection of reflective measurements...

Don't shine like a diamond, refract light like a diamond. Young scientists use an acrylic block and a laser light to observe refraction. Advanced scholars figure the sine of the angles of reflection and incidence as well as mastering...

Can you move like a photon? Young scholars use a maze to reproduce the straight line motion of a photon. The second in a six-part series of lessons on the sun has learners measure angle of incidence and refraction to determine the path...

The electromagnetic spectrum includes everything from very powerful gamma rays (which are used to treat cancer) to much weaker radio waves (which include microwaves). Through a hands-on activity, scholars explore the temperature...

An interactive lesson explores the effect of force angles on resulting forces. Learners adjust angles of strings supporting hanging portraits and watch the effects on the resultant force. Vector diagrams provide a visual representation...

Why is there more daylight in June than in December if you live above the equator? How does the angle of sunlight shift throughout the year? Answer these questions and more with an interactive article about the sun, its path through the...

Combine angles and the compass rose in this labelling worksheet. Geographers begin by labeling the cardinal directions on a compass template, along with the degrees corresponding to each. They then add the azimuthal directions, labeling...

Militaries throughout history have used topography information to plan strategies, yet many pupils today don't understand it. Scholars use Legos and a contour gauge to understand how to construct and visualize topographic profiles. This...

Young scientists study light reflection and refraction as they determine the critical angle, the rainbow angle, and color separation in rainbows. Teams record the data they collect in a shared spreadsheet and discuss results with the class.

Pupils determine the temperature of the water in a cup, measure the length of a piece of cardboard, and measure out an appropriate volume of water. This task assesses student's abilities to perform measurement and reporting skills.

Using PVC pipe and aquarium tubing, build an altitude tracker. Pupils then use the altitude tracker, along with a tangent table, to calculate the altitude of a launched rocket using the included data collection sheet.

Upper graders practice their estimation skills by observing different objects then making their best guess without using measuring instruments. Students are asked to estimate mass, length, volume, and area.

The lesson allows young scientists to use lasers and mirrors to study reflected light. A reading passage and homework question assess learning, while additional material introduces extension activities. 

Explore the behavior of light with different materials. Collaborative groups determine whether certain materials absorb, reflect, diffract, or transmit light waves. They then measure the angle of incidence and angle of reflection.

Take the class over the rainbow. Pairs or small groups follow directions to create a spectrograph. The pupils measure the angles formed by the different colors of the spectrum along with calculating the lengths formed by the spectrum and...

High schoolers experiment with the angle that yields the greatest distance of water at constant pressure.  In this experiment with the angle that yields the greatest distance of water at constant pressure lesson, students shoot...